LIS406-SpecialEd

Topics

 * 1) [|Mass Chapter 766]:the Massachusetts Special Education Law, is designed to define the needs of children requiring special education in a broad and flexible manner, to minimize the possibility of stigmatization, and to maximize the child's development in the least restrictive environment; [|Federal IDEA]: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. The law has been revised many times over the years. The most recent amendments were passed by Congress in December 2004, with final regulations published in August 2006. So, in one sense, the law is very new, even as it has a long, detailed, and powerful history. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.
 * 2) [|Americans with Disabilities Act] is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009. The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability.
 * 3) IEP [|Individualized Education Program][|NICHCY overview of 10 steps] The 10 steps include: Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services, through "Child Find," where the state conducts special activities to find children who are in need, or through a referral by a parent or school personnel. The child is then evaluated. Eligibility is decided. If the child is found eligible for services, within 30 calendar days the IEP team must meet to write an IEP. The IEP meeting is scheduled by the school system. The IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written. After it is written, services are provided. Progress is measured and reported to parents. The IEP is reviewed at least once a year. Child is reevaluated. The IEP must include a statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals designed to meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from the child's disability, for children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives, a description of: How the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals described in 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2) will be measured; and when periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals (such as through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards) will be provided; A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, a statement of any individual appropriate accommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on State and district wide assessments consistent with section 612(a)(16) of the Act; and if the IEP Team determines that the child must take an alternate assessment instead of a particular regular State or district wide assessment of student achievement, a statement of why the child cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the particular alternate assessment selected is appropriate for the child.[34 CFR 300.320(a)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)]
 * 4) **Learning Disabilities** -- overview: A learning disability is a neurological disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways. A learning disability can't be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong issue. With the right support and intervention, however, children with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to successful, often distinguished careers later in life. Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability, according to the National Institutes of Health. Difficulty with basic reading and language skills are the most common learning disabilities. As many as 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems. Learning disabilities often run in families. Learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities. In addition, they should not be confused with lack of educational opportunities like frequent changes of schools or attendance problems. Also, children who are learning English do not necessarily have a learning disability. Attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities often occur at the same time, but the two disorders are not the same. Some common learning disabilities include: Dyslexia – a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder. Dyscalculia – a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts. Dysgraphia – a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space. Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders – sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision. Nonverbal Learning Disabilities – a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions. (LD Online)
 * 5) **504 Plan**: Like the Americans With Disabilities Act, it seeks to level the playing field so that those students can safely pursue the same opportunities as everyone else. The "504" in "504 plan" refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which specifies that no one with a disability can be excluded from participating in federally funded programs or activities, including elementary, secondary or postsecondary schooling. "Disability" in this context refers to a "physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities." This can include physical impairments; illnesses or injuries; communicable diseases; chronic conditions like asthma, allergies and diabetes; and learning problems. A 504 plan spells out the modifications and accommodations that will be needed for these students to have an opportunity perform at the same level as their peers, and might include such things as wheelchair ramps, blood sugar monitoring, an extra set of textbooks, a peanut-free lunch environment, home instruction, or a tape recorder or keyboard for taking notes. Only certain classifications of disability are eligible for an IEP, and students who do not meet those classifications but still require some assistance to be able to participate fully in school would be candidates for a 504 plan.
 * 6) **ADD and ADHD** Is a common childhood disorder, and it may affect children differently. It makes it hard for a child to focus and pay attention. Some kids may be hyperactive or have trouble being patient. ADHD can make it hard for a child to do well in school or behave at home. ADHD probably comes from a combination of things, like genes, lead in old paint in and plumbing parts, smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, certain brain injuries, food additives like artificial coloring, which might make hyperactivity worse. Most research does not support the idea that sugar causes ADHD.Symptoms of ADHD may look like normal behaviors for a child, but ADHD makes them much worse and occur more often. Children with ADHD have at least six symptoms that start in the first five or six years of their lives. Children with ADHD may get distracted easily and forget things often, switch too quickly from one activity to the next, have trouble with directions, daydream too much, have trouble finishing tasks like homework or chores, lose toys, books, and school supplies often, fidget and squirm a lot, talk nonstop and interrupt people, run around a lot, touch and play with everything they see, be very impatient, blurt out inappropriate comments, have trouble controlling their emotions. Your child's doctor may make a diagnosis. Or sometimes the doctor may refer you to a mental health specialist who is more experienced with ADHD to make a diagnosis. There is no single test that can tell if your child has ADHD. It can take months for a doctor or specialist to know if your child has ADHD. He or she needs time to watch your child and check for other problems. The specialist may want to talk to you, your family, your child's teachers, and others. Sometimes it can be hard to diagnose a child with ADHD because symptoms may look like other problems. For example, a child may seem quiet and well-behaved, but in fact he or she is having a hard time paying attention and is often distracted. Or, a child may act badly in school, but teachers don't realize that the child has ADHD. If your child is having trouble at school or at home and has been for a long time, ask his or her doctor about ADHD. Children with ADHD can get better with treatment, but there is no cure. There are three basic types of treatment: 1. Medication. Several medications can help. The most common types are called stimulants. Medications help children focus, learn, and stay calm.Sometimes medications cause side effects, such as sleep problems or stomachaches. Your child may need to try a few medications to see which one works best. It's important that you and your doctor watch your child closely while he or she is taking medicine. 2. Therapy. There are different kinds of therapy. Behavioral therapy can help teach children to control their behavior so they can do better at school and at home. 3. Medication and therapy combined. Many children do well with both medication and therapy.
 * 7) [|Autism]:means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engaging in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
 * 8) **Asperger Syndrome**: Asperger's Disorder is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder. Both Asperger's Disorder and Autistic Disorder are in fact subgroups of a larger diagnostic category. This larger category is called either Autistic Spectrum Disorders, mostly in European countries, or Pervasive Developmental Disorders ("PDD"), in the United States. In Asperger's Disorder, affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication. Though grammatical, their speech may sound peculiar due to abnormalities of inflection and a repetitive pattern. Clumsiness may be prominent both in their articulation and gross motor behavior. They usually have a circumscribed area of interest which usually leaves no space for more age appropriate, common interests. Some examples are cars, trains, French Literature, door knobs, hinges, cappucino, meteorology, astronomy or history. The name "Asperger" comes from Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician who first described the syndrome in 1944. (aspergers.com)
 * 9) **Auditory or language processing disorder** Auditory processing is a term used to describe what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. Humans hear when energy that we recognize as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information that can be interpreted by the brain. The “disorder” part of auditory processing disorder means that something is adversely affecting the processing or interpretation of the information. Children with APD often do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even though the sounds themselves are loud and clear. For example, the request “Tell me how a chair and a couch are alike” may sound to a child with APD like “Tell me how a couch and a chair are alike.” It can even be understood by the child as “Tell me how a cow and a hair are alike.” These kinds of problems are more likely to occur when a person with APD is in a noisy environment or when he or she is listening to complex information. The cause of APD is often unknown. In children, auditory processing difficulty may be associated with conditions such as dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, autism spectrum disorder, specific language impairment, pervasive developmental disorder, or developmental delay. Sometimes this term has been misapplied to children who have no hearing or language disorder but have challenges in learning. The symptoms of auditory processing difficulty Children with auditory processing difficulty typically have normal hearing and intelligence. However, they have also been observed to have trouble paying attention to and remembering information presented orally, have problems carrying out multistep directions, have poor listening skills, need more time to process information, have low academic performance, have behavior problems, have language difficulty (e.g., they confuse syllable sequences and have problems developing vocabulary and understanding language), have difficulty with reading, comprehension, spelling, and vocabulary. A pediatrician or a family doctor can help rule out possible diseases that can cause some of these same symptoms. He or she will also measure growth and development. If there is a disease or disorder related to hearing, you may be referred to an otolaryngologist—a physician who specializes in diseases and disorders of the head and neck. To determine whether your child has a hearing function problem, an audiologic evaluation is necessary. An audiologist will give tests that can determine the softest sounds and words a person can hear and other tests to see how well people can recognize sounds in words and sentences. For example, for one task, the audiologist might have your child listen to different numbers or words in the right and the left ear at the same time. Another common audiologic task involves giving the child two sentences, one louder than the other, at the same time. The audiologist is trying to identify the processing problem. A speech-language pathologist can find out how well a person understands and uses language. A mental health professional can give you information about cognitive and behavioral challenges that may contribute to problems in some cases, or he or she may have suggestions that will be helpful. Because the audiologist can help with the functional problems of hearing and processing, and the speech-language pathologist is focused on language, they may work as a team with your child. All of these professionals seek to provide the best outcome for each child.
 * 10) **Dyslexia**: Dyslexia is a brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a person's ability to read. These individuals typically read at levels significantly lower than expected despite having normal intelligence. Although the disorder varies from person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia are difficulty with spelling, phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds), and/or rapid visual-verbal responding. In adults, dyslexia usually occurs after a brain injury or in the context of dementia. It can also be inherited in some families, and recent studies have identified a number of genes that may predispose an individual to developing dyslexia.
 * 11) **Delayed speech and language development** - implications for learning? When speech is not understood by others there is a problem. Speech problems, such as stuttering and mispronunciation can be very frustrating. Language has to do with meanings, rather than sounds. Language is a measure of intelligence and language delays are more serious than speech problems. Language delay is when a child’s language is developing in the right sequence, but at a slower rate. Speech and language disorder describes abnormal language development. Delayed speech or language development is the most common developmental problem. It affects five to ten percent of preschool kids. This is a learning disability that is caused by the brain working differently. These kids may have trouble producing speech sounds, using spoken language to communicate, or understanding what other people say. Speech and language problems are often the earliest sign of a learning disability. Hearing loss is often overlooked, and easily identified. If your child is speech/language delayed, their hearing should be tested. Intellectual disabililtyis a common cause of speech and language delay. Extreme environmental deprivation can cause speech delay. If a child is neglected or abused and does not hear others speaking, they will not learn to speak. Prematurity can lead to many kinds of developmental delays, including speech/language problems. Auditory Processing Disorder describes a problem with decoding speech sounds. These kids can improve with speech and language therapy. Neurological problems like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and traumatic brain injury can affect the muscles needed for speaking. Autism affects communication. Speech/language/communication problems are often an early sign of autism. Structural problems like cleft lip or cleft palate can interfere with normal speech. Apraxia of speech is a specific speech disorder in which the child has difficulty in sequencing and executing speech movements. Selective mutism is when a child will not talk at all in certain situations, often school.
 * 12) **Inclusion** use definition in IDA: Inclusion means that the needs of all children with dyslexia should be met within mainstream school. Inclusion can incorporate alternative networks of support that can cater for the needs of dyslexic children at certain points in their education. Inclusion and curriculum planning essentially aims to equip the class teacher with the knowledge and the conﬁdence to deal with dyslexia within the curriculum, and in an inclusive educational setting.
 * 13) **Assistive Adaptive Technology -- Overview**: is to help children with disabilities enhance their lives, increase their independence and productivity, and gain greater social inclusion through the use of leading-edge assistive technology.Many companies offer a variety of high-tech assistive and adaptive technology products, augmentative and alternative communication devices, computer access equipment, multilingual speech synthesis and voice recognition software. There are virtual on-screen keyboards, voice-enabled communication boards, as well as cognitive rehabilitation tools adapted to the special needs of the disabled.
 * 14) Mental retardation as defined in the IDEA:means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently [at the same time] with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
 * 15) **Excessive Disorder ED or Executive Functioning** - The executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. The executive functions all serve a "command and control" function; they can be viewed as the "conductor" of all cognitive skills. Executive functions help you manage life tasks of all types. For example, executive functions let you organize a trip, a research project, or a paper for school. Often, when we think of problems with executive functioning, we think of disorganization. However, organization is only one of these important skills. The term "executive functioning" has become a common buzzword in schools and psychology offices. In fact, neuropsychologists have been studying these skills for many years. We believe that the focus on executive functioning represents a significant advancement in our understanding of children (and adults!) and their unique profile of strengths and weaknesses. What mental control skills are covered under this umbrella? Different researchers and practitioners have their own favorite lists, although the overall concept is basically the same. We use the list proposed by Drs. Gerard A. Gioia, Peter K. Isquith, Steven C. Guy, and Lauren Kenworthy. These psychologists developed their understanding of executive functions through sound research and created a rating scale that helps parents, teachers, and professionals understand a particular child and think more specifically about how to help.
 * 16) **Bipolar in children and young adults**: Diagnosing bipolar disorder in young children is difficult, because many of the symptoms are similar to those of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorders -- or even just normal, childhood behavior. One problem is that the medications used for ADHD are stimulants, which can trigger mania in children with bipolar disorder.Young children in a manic phase might be more irritable than adults; they may be more likely to have psychotic symptoms, hearing and seeing things that aren't real. During a depressive episode, they might be more likely to complain of physical symptoms, like aches and pains. One of the most notable differences is that bipolar disorder in children cycles much more quickly. While manic and depressive periods may be separated by weeks, months, or years in adults, they can happen within a single day in children. Teaching bipolar children in the library: is the librarian of the medication schedule. Monitor side effects. The drugs used for bipolar disorder were tested in adults, and unfortunately, not enough is known about their effects on children. Ask your child's health care provider what symptoms to watch for. The FDA has issued a warning that using some types of antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide in children. In some cases, a child with bipolar disorder may need special allowances at school. He or she may need extra breaks or less homework during difficult times. So work out an agreement with your child's teachers or the school principal. In some cases, you may need to take your child out of school for a while, at least until his or her bipolar symptoms stabilize. Keep a routine. Children with bipolar disorder can really benefit from a daily schedule. Help them know what to expect at roughly the same time each day. Awareness that families may be attending family therapy. Take suicidal threats seriously and notify the classroom teacher.
 * 17) **Sensory Integration Disorder**: Sensory processing (sometimes called "sensory integration" or SI) is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Whether you are biting into a hamburger, riding a bicycle, or reading a book, your successful completion of the activity requires processing sensation or "sensory integration." Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively. Sensory Processing Disorder can affect people in only one sense–for example, just touch or just sight or just movement–or in multiple senses. One person with SPD may over-respond to sensation and find clothing, physical contact, light, sound, food, or other sensory input to be unbearable. Another might under-respond and show little or no reaction to stimulation, even pain or extreme hot and cold. In children whose sensory processing of messages from the muscles and joints is impaired, posture and motor skills can be affected. These are the "floppy babies" who worry new parents and the kids who get called "klutz" and "spaz" on the playground. Still other children exhibit an appetite for sensation that is in perpetual overdrive. These kids often are misdiagnosed - and inappropriately medicated - for ADHD. (sinetwork.org)
 * 18) **Fine motor skills and gross motor skills and their significance in a student's functioning** Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the body that enable such functions as writing, grasping small objects, and fastening clothing. Fine motor skills involve strength, fine motor control, and dexterity. Weaknesses in fine motor skills can affect a child's ability to eat, write legibly, use a computer, turn pages in a book, and perform personal care tasks such as dressing and grooming. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that enable such functions as walking, kicking, sitting upright, lifting, and throwing a ball, which depend on both muscle tone and strength. Low muscle tone, or hypotonia, is a characteristic of several disabling conditions such as Down syndrome, genetic or muscle disorders, or central nervous system disorders. These skills are important for major body movement such as walking, maintaining balance, coordination, jumping, and reaching. Gross motor abilities share connections with other physical functions. A student's ability to maintain upper body support, for example, will affect his ability to write. Writing is a fine motor skill. Students with poor gross motor development, may have difficulty with activities such as writing, sitting up in an alert position, sitting erect to watch classroom activity, and writing on a blackboard. The IEP team will use therapists' assessments and other evaluation data to determine if your child needs regular therapy as a related service. If your child needs therapy to benefit from specially designed instruction, these services will be written into the individual education program.
 * 19) **Hearing impairment**:means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but is not included under the definition of "deafness."
 * 20) **Visual impairment**:means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.
 * 21) **Anxiety Disorder**: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a pattern of frequent, constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events. Symptoms include difficulty concentrating, difficulty controlling worry, excess anxiety and worry that is out of proportion to the situation most of the time, excessive sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath, and stomach/intestinal symptoms, Fatigue, irritability, muscle tension -- shakiness, headaches, restlessness or feeling keyed up or "on the edge", and sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep; or restless, unsatisfying sleep). (Google Health)
 * 22) **Down Syndrome**: is a genetic condition in which a person has 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. Symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. However, children with Down syndrome have a widely recognized appearance.The head may be smaller than normal and abnormally shaped. For example, the head may be round with a flat area on the back. The inner corner of the eyes may be rounded instead of pointed. Physical development is often slower than normal. Most children with Down syndrome never reach their average adult height. (Google Health)
 * 23) **Tourette Syndrome**: Gilles de la Tourette syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that causes a person to make repeated and uncontrolled (involuntary) movements and sounds (vocalizations) called tics. Most people first notice symptoms of Tourette syndrome during childhood, between ages 7 and 10. The most common first symptom is a facial tic. Other tics may follow. A tic is a sudden, rapid, repeated movement or voice sound (vocalization). Tics can include: Arm thrusting, Eye blinking, jumping, kicking, repeated throat clearing or sniffing, and shoulder shrugging.Doctors have prescribed medicines called antipsychotics to treat Tourette syndrome. These medicines can help control or reduce tics, but they have side effects such as movement disorders and cognitive dulling. Anti-epileptic medications are also used sometimes. A blood pressure medicine called clonidine has been shown to help control tics. Another drug commonly used is tetrabenazine, but this drug is also linked to movement disorders as well as depression. Many other treatments have been tried with little or no improvement.